Dancing With Gypsies
by TheKnight000
Summary: Three Clans. One Woman. A fierce competition between the two largest clans in Konoha, over the heart of a lady.
1. Chapter 1

**Before you start the story, you ****must**** know: **You will be extremely confused if you do not read this author note. SO, please take the time to pick this apart before reading the fic. There are many significant changes I am making to the Naruto world to make this story work and they go as follows: This is a non-massacre story. Itachi didn't off everybody, and Sasuke doesn't off Itachi,Shisui is alive, everyone is kicking. Neji Hyuuga is as old as Itachi is. Sakura was not on team seven, as a matter of fact, she didn't even live in Konoha. She's recently moved, she has a family and a really important role and power in this story. Like a magical uterus. Play along. Naruto and Sasuke were on a two man team appointed by the Hokage of the time. Kakashi was still their sensei. The Hyuuga's and Uchiha are feuding. The Clans are huge, including the ones that are traditionally small in the mythology, that of the Inuzuka and Akamchi and such. Thanks for playing along.

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><p>"Just so you're aware, this is an extremely invasive and archaic tradition"<p>

The Hokage was arching a blonde brow at the clan members dotted around the table, doing this once a month was going to make her go grey. The customary meetings with the clan that happened every month on the fifteenth was something she had to drink to. Konoha took its clans seriously, and it drove her nuts.

"It's one I'll be reevaluating with the counsel later on in the year" She left out the "_The part of the counsel that you people are not in." _

She tapped her nails on the stack of manila folders in front of her, and ushered Shizune over so she could pass them out. The clan heads took them, and tucked them in. The tradition of giving away all the information of all the women in Konoha to these misogynists was giving her the goosebumps, but what the clans want, the clans got. If the clans are going to breed of their sons like dogs, then who was she to try and stop them.

"All I ask is that you give these families respect. Do not barge into their homes and demand their daughters marry your sons without some sort of courting process"

There were things in life the Great Slug Sage, didn't know and understand, like why the Clans continued to pretend it was the stone age, why they sent their Sons out on 'courting missions' to produce the most powerful heir, but she had to hand it to them, so far their little missions were turning out to be a success, she'd had more prodigy's come from the Hyuuga and the Uchiha than she really cared to admit, they really knew how to pick them. The only person who blew Itachi out of the water was Kakashi, and that's saying something. Fugaku and Mikoto were even a match made in the counsel room at the Uchiha manor. And they did well, producing two strong boys, just like they wanted.

Tsunade idly wondered if they knew that men picked the sex of babies.

The Hyuuga weren't far behind, Neji was a prodigy in his own right, for not having gone through traditional Ninja Academy they couldn't accurately see where his progress was as he developed, he had the strongest Byakugan ever seen in the clan, she had to wonder if he was created in a bottle. Hisashi Hyuuga was a vicious man, almost as vicious as Fugaku Uchiha, who was an absolute snake in the grass. And giant pain her ass. He was greedy, demanding, and rude, he didn't care whose back he had to step on to remain the strongest clan in all of Konoha, and if that included stepping on the Hokage's, then so be it. He had an army of black haired inbred freaks ready to strike at any moment, taking over the whole west side of the village.

Tsunade wondered if they knew she thought things like that about them. They probably shouldn't.

The war that was raging between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha was tearing Konoha academy's apart. The children were literally – there was not figurative speech anywhere in this – beating the crap out of each other.

The only clan that Tsunade could really appreciate were the Nara's, now those were some decent people. Hard working, mix breeding, open minded, lazy ass people. Her kind of people. The Yamanaka's were a bunch of blonde bimbo's … Inoichi was never able to produce that boy, just one loud girl. The Nara's tossed their manila folder in the trash, they didn't do the whole tradition things. Usually the Inuzuka's looked, but didn't touch and the Akimichi could care less. Traditionally, it was usually a showdown between the Hyuuga's and the Uchiha.

_And then there were the Haruno's … _

Which weren't really a clan, she reasoned. Just a family, a large, sweet family. Having moved to Konoha five years prior, they were the sweetest people she'd met to date. Nalla, the mother of the family, had taken the breath from the Hokage with her kindness, working in the Hokage office library as the official bookkeeper and librarian. She was the mother of six sons, and one daughter, as was usual for her family.

Tsunade felt like she was betraying the women by basically handing her daughter over on a platter.

The Haruno's moved to Konoha for peace and a place to begin a gain after losing their patriarch, now they would be pursued. The Haruno women had a unique… _trait_. Tsunade herself had been the one to note it. Now she was regretting it. The Haruno women had a chakra enhanced uterus. She thought it had to be an adaptation from the Clan's originally belonging to the mountains. On a cold mountain side, where the life span was shortened, the body, had to find a way to preserve the life of the strongest child. Just like the Hyuuga's had thicker veins and the Uchiha had night adapted pupils, the Haruno, had the ability to strengthen any Kekkei Genkai of any male child, the hold within their bodies. Their live spans are much longer than normal. Basically, it's like good gene's on steroids. Tsunade stood from the table, preparing to take her leave. She'd left Naruto in her office and was scared when she got their half the village would be gone.

"Just so you know, I know who you're going to pick, and all I ask is that when they say no, because they will, you leave them alone."

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><p>With that she left the clans to pick over the files without her watchful eyes and made her way to her office. Each step she felt like running to the Library and telling Nalla to take Sakura far, far, away from here.<p>

The first letter came to the Haruno's on a weekend. Which was odd, actually, there were a lot of odd things about the letter. The first, was that it came on a weekend, mail was delivered on weekdays, and just dropped in the mailbox and left their to rot until one of her children were forced to check the mail as it basically exploded out of the box. Next, was that it was hand delivered from a clan messenger. He was dressed in the white garb that she'd seen Hyuuga's wear. With it came a bundle of white flowers, that she'd never seen in her life, and a white sash. She threw it all down on the counter after ushering the delivery boy away, she stood with her hands on her hips, beside her red-head sister staring the letter down, Nalla, with Veva, her sister opened the letter, which was crested together with wax.

It read:

_Dear Haruno Family, _

_ It has come to our attention you have a very special gift, and a very beautiful daughter. We'd like to invite you and your family to a dinner with the honorable Main Branch Hyuuga family in order to discuss the official courting of your Daughter and our beloved first Son, Neji Hyuuga. _

_Master Hyuuga is an ANBU captain, a specialist in tracking, an earth, water, and weapons specialist. He behold the strongest Byakugan ever seen in Hyuuga history, he has been manner trained, he is an excellent marksmen. _

_ We believe the young Haruno would make an excellent addition to the Hyuuga clan. Please consider the flowers a gift from us, they come from our private prized garden. A messenger will return in three days' time for your response. _

_ Yours truly, _

_Hyuuga Main Branch. _

_Print. _

Nalla had been dreading this day, since the day the doctor informed her that she was having a daughter. While she loved all of her children equally, and would never really want to change things about them, she sometimes wished Sakura was born a male. Like her brothers. Instead, she was born soft, feminine, female. Sakura was Nalla's prized possession, a nurse, the type of women to save a bunny in the forest, to help an old man cross the street, or to pick flowers with the academy girls, Nalla knew one day the clans would come for her. She didn't know they do it so quickly.

It always got out, no matter if they were still in the moutains, in the Sand Village or wherever they always found out, that something was different about Haruno women. It was both a blessing and a curse, her late husband, the most wonderful man, had come out of nowhere, but really, she picked him to avoid going to a prestigious clan in Sand. If she was already married, they couldn't come after her , that didn't stop them from trying to take her husbands life. Or coming after Sakura. But Nalla had heard of the Hidden Leaf Village, a beautiful land, with beautiful possibilities, while they still had large clans, those clans had never heard of the Haruno's.

At least not yet.

And now they had.

Nalla thought of her sweet daughter, and with her sister, thought up the most appropriate response.

_Hyuuga Main Branch,_

_ We are delighted that we were considered, and so humbled. Thank you for the flowers, but we do not believe that Sakura is fit for clan life, we always believe it should be our daughters choice who she should marry, to set her up for courting might hurt her feelings. _

_ Again, we are so humbled to even be in the ranking. But no thank you._

_ Respectfully yours, _

_ Veva and Nalla Haruno_

The next later came in a much more dramatic fashion. Two messenger boys arrived, in full black traditional garb, red sash's, this time, there was no letter, two decorative scroll was handed to them, wrapped in red ribbon, with it came a thick bundle of flowers, a thermos, a basket of bread, a knitted blanket, and a fan. A fan she recognized. She almost didn't open the scrolls.

The first one she opened was in elegant cursive. She could hear the saccharine dripping from the letter, she pulled one of the still warm bread rolls out of the basket and ate as she read, handing her props to the chef.

_Dearest Haruno Family, _

_ We wish you the highest regards, enclosed the Matriarch has included bread, blanket and soup, we've heard of the sickly state of the young Ms. Haruno and hope for a quick and painless recovery, please do inform the Uchiha if anything is needed for her care, the clan is prepared to help in any way they can. _

_ The Main branch has written today to ask for a most formal invitation of courtship of the youngest Ms. Haruno. In hopes of marriage to our eldest heir, Uchiha, Itachi. A fulfilling life ahead of her, the Uchiha pride themselves in having the best the world can offer, we have invited Nalla and Veva Haruno for a luncheon with the main Branch to discuss the possibility of courtship and to meet the elder master Uchiha, please consider, yours truly, _

_Patriarch, Fugaku Uchiha_

_Counsel members, Suri and Misha Uchiha. _

_Best Intentions, _

_Uchiha. _

The second letter looked something like a resume, Nalla could only shake her head that a family could document their children this down to the wire, they could probably tell her when he got his first erection or when he discovered boobs weren't just fleshly flabs.

Uchiha Itachi Graduated from the academy at age seven, the second youngest to ever graduate from the academy. He mastered his Sharingan at age eight. He passed his chunin exam at age ten, and his Anbu, became an Anbu captain at age thirteen, has been moved around ranks in Anbu ever since, was even a candidate for Hokage.. This was ridiculous. The poor child probably had PTSD or something equally demeaning. Truthfully she'd met him before, only briefly in the booking room, he was quiet, polite, and didn't stare at her hair, which made him an okay human in her book, but not okay to marry her daughter.

_These rolls are ridiculous, _she thought. She'd must have had three of them by now, in her defense, Sakura's respiratory infection wouldn't allow for her to eat rolls anyway…

Nalla simply copied the notice she'd made the Hyuuga's and made the decision to send it off the next day.

"mama.."

Nalla spun on her heel. Sakura leant against the door, her frame was pale, and shaky, she was wheezing, her eyes had circles under them even though she'd been sleeping for days.

"Sakura! Get back in bed this instant!" Nalla moved to navigate her daughter back to the guest room where she'd been resting.

"Where'd you get all those flowers?" She was mumblings,

"I'll tell you when you're better."

"Mama …. It's happening … isn't it."

"I'm sorry Sakura."

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><p><strong>I do not own Naruto<strong>

**Review: Keep my juices flowing. I reply to all reviews let me know if you have a question. **

**The chapters will get longer, I just needed to introduce you to what the vibe was. **

**Thank you**


	2. Chapter 2: I Spy

**I'm astounded by the response!**

**I love it!**

**A few clarifications are at the bottom, some questions I have for you and answers of questions you asked me!**

**I do not own Naruto, IF I did … well.. bad things, y'all!**

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><p>Sakura was aware of a few things as she first came to.<p>

The first being that she was in the hospital, in a comfort room. There was a bed, a big window, a couch, where she could see her mother's floral print luggage bags, she could see her own dark green sack on the floor. Her mother was nowhere in sight.

She was then aware that it was night. She could see the moon outside of her window, and the Hokage monuments, some lights farther back in the city in the Nara district. She shifted around, adjusted the breathing mask on her face, and then realized something else. It smelled like flowers in the room.

And there was a strange man at the end of her bed.

She yelped, jumped deeper into the thin mattress, her mother must have taken her grandmothers quilt from the house because it was on the bed, she covered her body with that too. She couldn't speak with the mask banded to her face.

The man at the end of the bed bowed deeply. He was in white robes, tied with a white sash, his long brown hair was tied back with a perfectly rounded brown leather cord.

"My deepest apologizes Haruno-Sama, I hadn't meant to startle you. I am Himachi, the Hyuuga messenger, I come baring gifts of the Hyuuga manor" He was still bowed, she slowly sat up just a bit, adjusted the mask again, and looked at him. His hands were behind his back, but she could see the green tips of stems and big white bulbous flowers.

He stood and presented the gifts, Sakura yelped again as he came down to one knee and held the flowers and white porcelain vase out for her inspection at the end of the bed.

She nodded quickly and gestured toward the window ledge. He stood and put the flowers in the vase with quick efficiency, and turned back to her.

"Do you need anything Haruno-sama?"

She quickly shook her head in the negative and he took his leave, but not after another formal bow and shutting the door soundly.

Sakura edged the air mask off to see if she was alright breathing on her own and got a swift negative as she began to pant without the assistance of the machine.

She took another look around her room and gasped. She sank under her quilt and looked at the floral garden that was left side of the room.

Black and blue flowers came spilling out of baskets, vases, and some where just wrapped and laid on the four chairs that were supporting her gifts. She noticed a few cards, some scrolls, and a balloon that she assumed was from one of her brothers.

She wondered why they were all there, and then she became aware of the conversation that she'd had with her mother the night that she'd been taken to the emergency room. Sakura reached up and made sure a knitted cap or scarf was wrapped around her hair. The Clans were trying to buy her affections.

_Well_, she knitted her brows together, she wouldn't let them. Sakura didn't understand things like this, why these things were so important. It had always been her full intention to get married because of love, not because some weird mountain adapted uterus. Her mother and father faired fine, and while her mother suffered quite a bit before meeting her late husband, she still married for love and has profited greatly. Sakura's brothers are all strong, and she inherited her father's healing chakra.

If those clans thought she was going to roll over for a bundle of flowers, they had another thing coming.

Sakura didn't know much about the Clans of Konoha. Other than the fact that there were four leading clans, the Uchiha, the Hyuuga, the Nara, and the Sarutobi. In that order from largest to smallest.

The Hyuuga's had a large gated compound on the east side of the village, within in it was the main house, the branch house, and all the little homes that made up the Hyuuga clan members. She'd only met one Hyuuga, a girl just a bit younger than her, who came in for a physical. Their opalescent eyes were more than a big discerning and Sakura found it hard not to stare at the absolute blankness in the eyes of the very formal, polite girl. She noticed that the women traditionally had dark hair and the men had dark brown long hair that was tied with a cord.

The north side was taken up by the Sarutobi's, a noble bloodline that was talked highly upon in the streets of Konoha. Their clan was spread across the city, but the main branch was over up north, near the great Hokage forest and the academy.

On the south side was the thick forest that surrounded the laid back, much liked, Nara Clan. The Nara's were always talked highly of, but that was mostly because they were such a deceptive little clan. What looked like lazy, simple people were much more than that; They could easily turn the village around with their natural genius, they had more clan members in the Counsel then all the Clan's combined and more Nara's worked in the Hokage office than any other. They weren't power hungry, but they did quietly remind others that they were there, and dangerous.

On the east side of the village was the dark, sprawling metropolis of the Uchiha compound. A wrought iron gate, combined with thick dark wood that sprawled tens of feet up in the air kept people from looking in, but with the red eyes of the Uchiha, they could see out. Sakura had passed by only once on her way to the market district, taking the long way on a nice day. It seemed that side of the town was colder, darker, more dangerous. Large black crows clucked on the fence of the compound and she hurried passed.

She didn't know who was vying for her affections but knew the Uchiha and Hyuuga had to be in the running. If she were being honest with herself, and allowing herself the opportunity to even think to choose one of the barbaric clans she would fold herself into, it would probably be the Sarutobi. The quiet, calm, peaceful people seemed to be the best of both worlds. While she didn't see herself sinking into clan life, she was at least giving herself the opportunity to check.

She knew that strict clan life like those lived in Hyuuga and Uchiha households was not for her. Was she allowed to take sick ducks to a large, cold compound, or a spotless one like the Hyuuga.

Were her children going to have red eyes, or white?

More importantly, which was more creepy?

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door to the room was slid open and a nurse in a customary white uniform waltzed in.

"Good morning Sakura-Chan!"

Sakura recognized the uppidy night nurse as Mita, an elderly women with turquoise hair and matching eyes, full of mischief. She was queen of pranks around the night crowed, and much loved. Sakura was instantly comforted.

"Boy, I'm sure glad you're awake. It's dead out there, you don't mind if I sit for a moment do ya?" Sakura shook her head in the negative and removed the mask from her face for a moment to speak.

"How long have I been here?" Her voice was raspy and rough from disuse, she was just at a whisper.

"Three days, sleeping. Your mother went home tonight to help her back out, she's been on that lumpy couch for days now. She was also getting the sniffles from all the flowers in here." Mita was picking the pins out of her hair, and brushing out her hair with the brush that was on Sakura's stand next to the bed.

"You've been a popular girl. The whole hospital is hopping with the news." Sakura raised a pink brow at Mita.

"You've got quite the visitors list. First night you were here the Uchiha's unloaded a delivery of flowers into our lobby, the morning after that Mikoto Uchiha was here, got into a little discussion with your mother in the hallway, and left. The day after that the Hyuuga's were here. Fumiko Hyuuga came with home knitted blankets and soup, she had her little guard with her, interrogated the nurse who was working here to see if you'd be fine, those matriarch's are something else. Then, after that, came the patriarch's. Fugaku Uchiha came and spoke with your mother, Hisashi came as Fugaku was finishing up with your mom and then the two of them got into this weird stare down in the hall. It was hilarious, those two old men huffing and puffing in the hall. After that its been pretty mellow, just a few guards coming and going asking on an update on your condition, we haven't given them any though, you know, doctor patient confidentiality."

Sakura's head was spinning with the news. People were fighting outside her door?

Strange women were showing up and leaving gifts, all this talk of patriarch and matriarch.

"What'd you do anyway? Discover the secret for longevity? I'm pretty sure Fumiko Hyuuga hasn't aged in twenty years."

Sakura shrugged, she was just born this way, and suddenly she was being punished for it. She lifted the mask, "Magic uterus and all that jazz." She put it back down again as her chest started to tighten.

"Who're you going to pick?" The older women asked, repining her hair back.

"Neither. I marrying for love." Sakura responded. The turquoise haired women patted her leg under the blankets, and stood, working out some of her joints.

"Good girl. Your mother will be back in the morning. I'll shut out the lights, try and get some rest love." She left then, flipping out the main light leaving a small lamp by her bed on.

"Wait!" The woman paused by the door.

"Take some flowers down to the nurses' desk, they'd like that, and maybe some to the children's ward. I don't need all of these." Sakura smiled, placed the mask back on her face that was on a simple mist now and laid flat. Mita returned with a grey roll cart and loaded the flowers onto it and slipped out, but not without one last smile.

She flipped off the side light, and rolled onto her side, careful not to tangle the oxygen mask. Before her eyes could slip completely close she caught a movement at the window, her eyes flared open, but there was nothing on the sill but a sleek, black, bird.

She fell into unconsciousness.

Unaware of the eyes that were on the other side of the glass.

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Itachi Uchiha was spying, and he knew it was wrong. But as he sat in the tree closest to her hospital window he wondered what was so special about the small, waif of a girl. The first thing he noticed was the thick knitted had that was fitted to her hair, a few hairs peeked out but most of the mane was tucked in.

Her arms were folded under her body, her face resting on her hands, her lips puckered in a soft snore. He crouched a little further and took in the small hospital room and the small human in it.

He wondered briefly, if he should have made his presence known during the conversation with the older nurse, but he'd heard something that froze him in his tracks, something so foolish, so naïve, it caused him to pause.

"_I'm marrying for love"_

What a foolish assumption. Humans, he decided, must be the most stupid creatures of all.

Love, was not the love, that humans wanted it to be. Of course, she would marry for love, but love was the most selfish act of all, more selfish, than marrying for profit, or baring children. Love meant that you'd found someone useful to you, someone who gives you things that you cannot get any where else, and selfishly, you covet them.

When Itachi was first introduced to the fat child that was Sasuke, he didn't love him. He hated him. The child wailed and wailed, he smelled bad, he couldn't communicate and he took up all of his mothers affections. But that soon changed when Sasuke learned to walk, and Itachi would find himself being followed by a small, chubby, speechless human.

At first it was annoying, and then, it was a little bit _sweet._ The boy would follow him around in hopes that Itachi would look after him, and one fateful night, when Sasuke was just months old, the ground shook with fever, as the beast was unleashed in the Hidden village.

As his parents ran out to defend the compound, they left Itachi and a small, round wailing boy. Itachi grabbed his sibling as part of the compound collapsed and ran, covering the small boy with his hands as he tried to protect that human life.

Sometime during that night, Itachi realized that Sasuke could give him something no one had been able to give him before, as they huddled in the forest, Sasuke quiet, contemplating with his big dark eyes, one hand tugging Itachi's hair, one hand in his mouth, he realized that Sasuke gave him peace. From the bloodshed he'd seen, to the constant flood in his head, Sasuke canceled it out, like a magician the baby give him, _peace of mind._ Itachi knew the only thing he would be able to offer Sasuke in this life was protection, and he then decided to love the little bundle.

Itachi watched this person though, this odd, naïve person. He was curious, and curiosity was dangerous when you always got the end satisfaction.

He smirked slightly, a new game.

Boredom took up much of Itachi's life, nothing interested him, and nothing could keep him occupied. Usually Shisui could keep his mind from completely disintegrating, but that was about the end of it. Sasuke had gone from sweet baby, to vengeful, jealous human, in a mere matter of years, and ceased to interest Itachi, unless it was for him to keep up his side of the deal.

But this human, this human, was different. This human had pink hair, and a pet lizard, this human was no shinobi, but was a highly skilled medic masquerading as a nurse. Was a beautiful girl, that covered her face with thick scarves, caps and hoods.

This would be a fun game.

Beyond that obvious positives of marrying the girl, there were a few that he could truly benefit from. While Itachi couldn't bring himself to care about offspring, he knew that she would get Fugaku off his back, and simultaneously bring the older man to heart attack. Since the age of eighteen, he'd been pestered about marriage, his duty to the clan, and so on and so forth, and this little human could satisfy that.

It saved him from having to marry inside the clan, his second cousin twice removed or something equally fabricated.

The next benefit was upping the Hyuuga, while Itachi wasn't as proud to be an Uchiha as he could have been, he was definitely glad he wasn't a Hyuuga.

There was something snake like about that clan, ever since facing off Neji Hyuuga in the Forest of Death, it was like the pale eyed man was a thorn in his side. While Itachi was ultimately more skilled, there was something _annoying_ about the other man.

Probably his unconscious goading to Sasuke. Sasuke was competitive enough, he didn't need the thin Hyuuga egging him on. Sasuke's competitive greed would be his downfall.

And beyond that, she was convenient. She didn't look like much trouble, she was too soft for all of that, her creamy complexion, golden freckled face. She had heavy, soft curves that Kunoichi women didn't have, they were hard angles, rough edges and muscle. She was pliable, smooth, soft. Something he wouldn't mind.

He didn't usually spend much time with civilian women, the women who pleased him, were usually paid to do so, professionals were less likely to _slip up_, no true professional would make him have to explain a bastard to his father.

Movement on the bed caught his attention, the girl struggled out of her blankets, she had a thin sheen of sweat on her skin, she was hot. She twisted out of the quilt, one leg escaped and laid on top of the blankets.

His eyes tracked that bare skin, He noticed that the thin hospital dress left nothing hidden from his invasive gaze.

Her leg was bright in the night. Starting with small, purple painted toes. A slightly chubby foot. A slender ankle, a small knee, a curvy thigh, a round bottom. His eyes followed that curve, his eyes met white underwear that cupped her bottom softly. He relaxed his sharingan, eased back from the window slowly, his training slowly seeping back into his bones, he left the scene silently, going home to slip into his window and catch sleep before leaving on his mission in the morning.

A simple assassination.

For a simple assassin.

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The next time Sakura awoke, her mother was on the couch, her knitting needles between her fingers and a newspaper on her lap.

"Mama?" Sakura called weekly.

Nalla flew from her seat and over to her daughter, she was cooing and smoothing her pink hair back.

"Oh dear, you're awake, Oh honey I've been so worried for you. How do you feel?"

"Perfect. A little weak, but not short of breath anymore." She pulled the mask off her head and laid back again in fear of getting vertigo. Sakura's mother fretted just a bit more before settling in. She sat on the bed across from her daughter, knowing she would have to be the one to break the news, to tell her of her decision.

"What do you remember?" Sakura pulled the cap off her head and finger combed her hair.

"Enough to know what that's about." She gestured with her chin to the pile of gifts sitting inconspicuously in the corner.

"I sent the rejection letters…. Like we talked about." Nalla said, "But I got replies for those. I think… I think you might want to consider, taking an offer." Sakura jumped, stared at her mother appalled.

"Just read the letters Sakura!" Nalla jumped up and paced back in forth.

"It could be a good life for you, one of them could be a good man for you! I'm not saying don't fall in love and get married on your own, I'm saying wait and see if you fall in love with a Hyuuga or a Uchiha or a Inuzuka.." Nalla was staring at her daughter, pleading for her to understand.

"What do you mean… you've always told me.."

"Sakura! I got a happy story! I got a man who loves me with a good job, your father was an amazing doctor! So we've always had a good life, good money, good friends, good family. But you know what happened to Auntie Veva, she married a fish monger, she lived on the salary of a fish monger, she was beat by him! Abused by him! Sometimes …. Your first instinct isn't your best instinct."

Sakura looked down at her lap.

"And those things don't happen in a clan! You're asking me to consider for money! I don't care about money."

"That's because you've always had it!" Nalla rubbed her temples.

"All I'm asking, is that you meet them, and give them a chance, one dinner, one lunch, one cup of tea at the house, and if it rubs you the wrong way, drop it, but you never know. You could meet prince charming."

Sakura didn't voice out loud that she highly doubted that prince charming was a kekkei genkai waving, blood savoring, dirty, shinobi.

She thought her mother's words over. And then felt a little bad for her quick judgment, for all she knew, those men were decent human beings, the sons' didn't want to marry, they didn't want it just as she didn't want it, it was all in the family, so she guessed that she could clean the slate.

Maybe there was a prince charming.

She just had to kiss a few shinobi frogs first.

**Questions:**

Alright, for clarification purposes, Naruto's story is all the same. Nothing has changed in his character. Sakura isn't just a civilian, she's a medic, and has the ability to be a kunoichi if she wanted to, more on that later.

**Here's my question for you:**

**Did we want to include a Shikamaru in the mix? **

**If you can think of any other man you'd like to add to the competition let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3: Green Light

**Howdy! **

**So here the answers to your questions: **

**How Old is Sakura: **

Sakura is twenty years old.

**Why was Sakura hospitalized? **

Sakura was hospitalized for respiratory infection.

**Who is the heir to the Sarutobi clan?**

I've decided to revive Asuma, but …. I am going to OC a son for the Sarutobi's.. more on that later.

**Beyond that, I am looking for a Beta for this story, so if anyone is interested … shoot me a PM. **

**Enjoy:**

Sakura made a stop to pick up some charts before she started in on her night shift. The moon was high in the sky outside, the wind had picked up, and the street lights were on. It was a classic Konoha night.

She discreetly adjusted her bra straps behind the stacked charts and made her way to the overnights. She dropped in on an older man who was already snoozing with the lights on, she shut them off, tucked him in the blankets and adjusted his pillows so he wouldn't get a cramp. She checked his vital, clucked her tongue at his blood pressure.

No wonder the old man had a heart attack.

As she made her way to her next overnight she bumped into Mai, another nurse being forced into the night shift, cupping her own thermos of tea Sakura took in the dark shadows under the red-heads eyes, pale skin, and the glasses falling off her nose.

"Good luck with the patient in 47, he's a pain in the ass." She said. Sakura giggled, Mai was always in a wonderful mood.

"I'm sure he's great." She tried to liven the older woman, "There are rice balls in the longue, go get some before Jurai gets them." She nudged her.

"Sure, sure, Hey, you've got some flowers downstairs. The girl in pediatrics were all over them." Mai adjusted, bending down and retying her shoes.

"They can have them." Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'll got tuck in 47, give him some sleepy time tea." Sakura winked.

The girl in the hospital thought Sakura was doing some sort of magic with her tea, but it was foolproof. Sleepy time tea would turn any stick-in-the-mud into jello. A careful mixture of Lavender, Peppermint and Chamomile, with a few other herbs, turned the body into a puddle of best-sleep-you've-ever-had.

She went to the longue before checking on 47 and warmed up his tea, reading over his chart.

A Shinobi.

Nara, Shikamaru.

Injured in combat, punctured lung, broken arm, sprained ankle, concussion. There was a scrawled note at the bottom:

'_Huge pain in the ass. Knock him out. Lazy bastard paged me to open the window for him. His bed is right next to it.' _

Sakura put the tea, a rolled up fleece blanket, painkillers and his chart on a tray and walked up to his room. She gave two polite knocks before sliding open the door.

He was lying on the bed, looking out the window, his hair was a wild disarray on the pillow, his face was bandaged, his clothes were folded up on a chair and he was in regulation hospital sweats. He didn't even turn as she set the tray down and unrolled the fleece blanket.

"How's your night Nara-sama?"

He grumbled something so low she couldn't hear it, she tucked the fleece blanket around him. He still didn't move.

"I got you some tea. And some painkillers" She kept the smile on her face, pushing the stray hair out of her face as she checked his blood pressure and temperature.

"Thank god" That was a mumble she could hear.

She looked around his room. There were some folded clothes on a bag, a couple of stacked books, _"Strategic Planning, Group Defense, and Open Plot planning" _and "_The History of Shogi." _

His window was wide open, the cool night air blowing in, she went to shut it, but thought better of it.

"Have you been in much pain, Nara-sama?" He flopped onto his back, disrupting the blankets, she was quick to re-tuck them.

"Splitting headache, when do I get to leave?" She avoided his eyes as she rubbed her hands on his temples.

"As soon as that splitting headache goes away and a mednin can come and finish the healing on you." She said. He flinched as she brought the cup of tea up to his lips, he tilted is head back and took in some of the tea, and swallowed the pain killers. He winced again, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. Her heart tinged watching him flinch around By the way his arms were built, she could see the muscle lining his darkly tanned skin, by the way his shoulders coiled and the way his chakra wound up in his arms like a snake ready to strike she knew him a strong ninja, and to see a strong human in this much pain was heartbreaking.

In the last years of her father's life, he'd been the same way. His previous bulk shrinking down, gaunt, his skin was pale and saggy, when it used to be tan and stretched tight. The lines around his eyes stopping being laugh lines, he stopped looking like her father. His hair thinned and fell out, so did his teeth. At the end of his life he was as vulnerable as a baby, but as loved as a father.

She peeked around to make sure that no one was watching, the only thing she could see out the window were a couple of crows on the branches, so she pushed his shoulders back into the mattress.

He peeked one eye open, but she covered his eyes with her palm. She felt his chakra coil in his body, he tensed up, but she relaxed her body, she felt the pulse of the healing chakra. It collided with his skin first, then his tissues, veins, muscles, his chakra, his blood, his bones.

She first began to repair the damage in his head. She felt around for the concussion, she found the bruise easily, and began to soothe over it. She felt him go lax underneath her, and pressed a little more weight on him.

After that she let the chakra travel through his stream, attatching to the bone in his arm and wrapping around it, mending the break, and then his ankle. She turned her attention to his lungs, which were still torn up, healing slowly. She felt Doctor Marushi's Chakra in his lungs, she overrode that, mending up those few holes left.

She slowly released him. She stepped back, he was still lax on the bed. She picked up the tea again, popped a straw in it and held it up to his lips.

"Drink up now, I don't want you getting dehydrated. This tea will also help you sleep easy." She tried to continue on like nothing happened. He quickly drank down the tea. She turned to leave as he spoke:

"Why are you nurse?"

"That's what I'm qualified to do Nara-sama, I trained in school for this." She gave him a cheeky wink and turned to leave again.

"But you're a healer, that's the strongest healing chakra I've ever felt." He said. "It doesn't make any sense that you're changing bedpans and showering off old people." She tensed under his words.

"I'd really appreciate it if this could stay between us." Her voice was low this time. "I don't want to draw attention to myself." She was gripping the door frame tightly.

"Troublesome. What's the big secret?"

There was a solid crack, she looked at the frame beneath her palm, the door way was cracked, a small sliver was cut from the glass screen.

"Good girls don't kiss and tell"

She gave another cheeky wink, and turned to leave.

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The Uchiha prodigy narrowed his eyes under the image. His crows were not just a mass of sound and presence, they were good messengers too.

He could keep one eye on Sasuke, one eye on the Clan and one eye on his newest _fascination._

He had to admit he was quite intrigued now.

He watched the clan meet as he was away, as Fugaku was prone to do when he had to tell the elders something he didn't want Itachi to hear, but Itachi could _always_ hear. There wasn't a spot on the planet his father could go that Itachi wouldn't be able to see. They talked about Sasuke, someone they knew was a sensitive topic to Itachi, he didn't like the way the stirred Sasuke on, how they approved on the look his little brother got in his eye when he felt inferior. That look that could kill.

Sasuke would never be enough for the clan.

He was brought back to the presence briefly as he walked across the side of the building the Daimyo was in, and slipped silently into the window. Facing the two guards. They broke forward, drawing swards, but Itachi was quicker, snapping both of their necks in a matter of seconds.

It was like a dance. Two steps forward, one step back. Three step sidewise, two steps back.

Things like these bored him, the guards, the door, the woman that was in there with the Daimyo that, no doubt, he would have to kill as well. Something about younger women spurred those older men on.

His mind wandered, He played the image over of the civilian, or so he thought, pouncing on the young Nara, covering his face with her hand and glowing the most eerie shade of green.

He touched his hand to the door the Daimyo was behind, and melted the lock off. So simple. So easy.

He wondered why she hid that absolutely, lovely talent of hers. And what exactly the _big secret_ was. She was such an easy target.

He speared the woman who was draped across the bed in the throat. Her blood made a high arch off the body splashing his mask. But it was a silent death, as he severed her vocal chords. He could hear the Daimyo in the bath.

He was trying to play his pieces close. He had to be strategic, he briefly regretted not putting a bird on the Hyuuga, but he doubted that the man would make a move. The rush of competition was running through his veins now,_ and Itachi Uchiha didn't lose._

He had been bored so long, his little brother was a like a fish in a fish bowl, entertaining for only so long.

He pushed the door open to the bath, the wide man turned and stared at Itachi who merely tilted his head and blinked at the man. The man came flying out of the tub, splashing water everywhere and tumbling ungracefully onto the floor of the bathing room. He curled himself into a ball.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know.." He was rambling now, and Itachi didn't care.

"I'll tell you anything, you can have all the money you want, you can have the girl, she was just a whore.." Itachi silenced him by placing a gloved finger up to his masked lips. He had his head cocked to the side observing the naked man's trembling form, he snarled in disgust.

He observed the terror in the man's eyes.

He wondered what was so terrifying about a weasel mask.

And then wondered if it was just the blood on his armor.

"What did you have shipped to Sound?" His voice was even, cold.

His mind was elsewhere.

He wondered why she had to cover the Nara's body with her own.

And why it bothered him so much.

Curious.

He wondered if she was running from something, or if she was simply telling the truth, trying to blend in with the natural crowed. He could understand that, he reasoned, slipping into the movement of everyday life when there were people like him, people who naturally didn't fit. Whose aura filled the space of the room with dread, and death.

"They were vials." The man was sweating under his freshly clean skin.

"What was in the vials?"

Itachi was many things, patient, was not one of them. He decided to go ahead and slay the man and head back to the village. He didn't want to give the woman any more time to lay on any other men. He made a conscious effort not to think _his woman, _instead of the woman. He would be next, he decided. He caught the reflection of the mask in his sword, and smirked a bit.

The man's screams followed him all the way back to Konoha.

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The sun wasn't up yet as Sakura made her way from the hospital. After dropping in a few more times on Nara and the rest of her row, she wrapped herself up for the cool morning weather, a scarf wrapped around her hair, a sweater covering the short sleeves of her nurse uniform.

She was untucking her hair from the collar, and turning the first corner from the hospital when she froze on the sidewalk.

There was a man in front of her.

She took in his attire. Black pants, tucked into black boots. A gray vest over a black short sleeve turtle neck. She took in the swinging brunette hair, and opalescent eyes that appeared to be burning right through her skin.

"May I walk you home?"

**Hola, Hola, **

**This chapter was longer but I've split it up in two parts as I didn't want to have to many point-of-view skips in one chapter because I know that can get annoying. **

**I am looking for a ****beta reader. **

**If you're interested, let me know!**

**I do not own Naruto. **


	4. Chapter 4: Under the Moonlight

Under the Moonlight

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Neji Hyuuga was many things, complacent, intelligent, merciful, but patient was not one of them. And over the past couple of weeks, he'd been losing his patience with the little civilian girl that had taken the Hyuuga compound by storm, without even stepping foot in.

His uncle had called him in for a meeting, they talked over a cup of tea and a game of Shogi.

"It's your responsibility to the Hyuuga clan, and to yourself, that you pass on your power. As one of the strongest clan members we have ever seen it would be irresponsible of us to simply allow that power to slip through our fingers. As a newly made first branch member, it's also your responsibility to ensure your spot on that branch, you must prove to the other clan members that they made a good decision. Prove your worth as a Hyuuga."

He nodded along with his uncle. It was easier to play the game than to make an excuse as to why you cannot. Smarter to plot in silence.

"She's a civilian. Lives with her mother, and the only girl in their bunch."

Neji could actually hear a little bitterness from that one. It was no secret that Hiashi wanted boys, and got himself a pink bow-tied package instead.

"Small family from the mountains. She's a nurse at the hospital, her mother is close to the Hokage, her family has proven to have the unique ability to produce strong heirs. A chakra enhanced womb that protects and stores the Chakra of the mate. I've sent a letter formally asking for permission for courtship."

That was days ago.

He'd been silently observing the woman from her hospital window. He'd peaked a bit into her daily life.

Then he'd been called away on a mission to Sound, and there wasn't a way he could watch her from there. But her visage seemingly followed him to sound. The image of her limp form on the mattress, her shallow breathing, the mask making her face look small. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander when she was limp. The thick blanket and gown not hiding anything from view. He could see the indentation of her pelvis, the perk of her nipples, the curve of her collar bone.

And he had to admit, he was impressed. He thought she would have been a little frumpy, a little shallow, a little more human than she appeared.

That was the thing about those Kunoichi's about women like Ino Yamanaka, Ten Ten and even Hinata: as fragile and weak as she was; they were otherworldly. They were hard lines, tanned bodies, but good people. However, there was something attractive and a little unattractive about dating a woman that could snap you in half.

And for a long time, Neji imagined taking himself there: Finding a strong Kunoichi. But maybe, he thought, that wasn't the answer. As he thought back in time, being a Kunoichi didn't ensure the best life. Even Mikoto Uchiha was just a civilian at one point, so was his mother, maybe being a Kunoichi had nothing to do with strength or maybe it did.

He was still a bit hesitant about courting a civilian girl as he didn't know what they were like. He knew what Kunoichi's were like, he could assure himself a little distance, a little attitude, a little hardness, a little weakness, but with a civilian woman, well … they seem so fragile.

He'd seen them moseying around, doing their everyday work just like Kunoichi's do, just a bit slower. They savored the moment a bit more he figured.

But the days he'd spent observing the pink haired girl the more attracted he grew. He grew conscious to the fact that she was much smaller than him, she didn't have callouses on her hands, or great muscles in her would need his help.

And there was something alluring about being needed.

When he returned from his ANBU mission he fully intended to go and check in at the hospital, but with his mask strapped to his thigh he caught her leaving the building. She had a layered scarf wrapped around her head, hiding most of her pink locks, a sweater over her white nurses uniform that bore a few stains from her shift no doubt. He waited for her to discover him rather than him startle her in the dark.

He knew the moment she felt his presence as she tensed beneath her clothing and looked up at him. He felt the tightening under his skin as he looked for the first time into those green eyes that once looked Hunter green but now bore something like a mix of Lamb's Ear and Green Apple.

"May I walk you home?"

They walked silently side by side her hand tucked into the crook of his arm; it was awkward. The people that were up early enough to see them were gawking in the streets, and Sakura wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.

But she walked next to the silent Hyuuga.

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She went to speak, determined, to break the silence.

"Did you – uh, - um, just get back from some sort of mission?"

"Yes. In Sound." Was all he said. She imagined he was probably not able to tell her much more. She lifted her free hand to rub at her tired night shift was a rough one, but with two days off after that, and a bit of overtime under her belt, it was almost worth it.

"The night shift… do you like it?" He asked suddenly. She flinched a bit.

"It's alright. Much more boring than a day shift, that's for sure. Just some patients to check in on, bed pans to change.." She realized that she was rambling and glanced down at her feet to watch her steps and avoid looking anywhere near the silent man next to her.

They came to a sudden stop. She jerked forward and looked up confused as to why they were stopped.

"You shouldn't watch your feet as you go. You're more likely to be injured that way," he said. She took in the seriousness of his face, the doleful eyes, the long fingered hand that was slowly making its way to the hand she had tucked in the crook of his arm. He stroked her fingers slowly, taking in their small qualities, neatly trimmed nails, painted a light seafoam.

"I'm less likely to fall down that way." She correct but her eyes didn't leave his hands that were stroking hers.

"You will not fall if you have a good leader."

"I don't always have a leader."

"You should be your own leader."

She was silent at that and they walked along again, this time, her eyes straight forward.

"It's been brought to my attention you declined the courting invoice." She stumbled at that not expecting him to so blatantly bring it up. She searched for words to say, but he beat her to the punch.

"I have reviewed the reasons you might say no, and I have to assure you of a few things before you so easily drop the issue. The Hyuuga clan would take very good care of you. You would never want for anything in their ranks. You would never be in danger. Beyond that, I am not asking for your hand in marriage at this moment. I'm asking you to consider allowing me to get to know you as a friend would or potential lover." She shivered at the way he said lover. There was something about the way it twisted off his tongue.

"I assure you that I will not allow anything to happen to you under my care, and that you'll always have a good leader." She went to look up at him, but noticed that she was in front of her forest green front door as he stood behind her.

"Get some sleep, Haruno-sama, until next time." He said. She blindly pushed into her house, closing the door soundly, and dropping all of her things on the ground. Her mother was pushing around breakfast in the kitchen when she flew around the corner to speak with her.

An egg flew out of her hand and landed on the linoleum. Her mother was in her white fluffy robe, bunny slippers, and had her sleep cover over her head.

"Mother," she gasped out. Nalla pushed forward and pulled Sakura into a chair at the breakfast nook and waited for her to finish. "Neji Hyuuga accosted me outside of work. He brought up the Hyuuga proposal and asked me to consider some things. I thought you said they wouldn't directly approach me?"

"The Hyuuga's appear much more brave than I first thought."

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Neji perched on top of the Haruno's roof. He found what he'd been sensing since he got back into Konoha. The bird. The black bird looked inconspicuous, beady eyed, but watched him intently. He smirked at the little bird, 'well played Uchiha-san.'

The birds head was separated from its body within the next second.

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Shikamaru leaned back into his hospital bed that morning feeling miraculously better than he did yesterday. And he knew exactly why.

His brow furrowed; he didn't know what to do about that.

In all honestly, he'd heard about the Haruno girl. His father had approached him with the information, just in case he wanted to know, and told him it would be nice if he did something like that; however, there was no pressure and truly, Shikamaru knew, there was no pressure. His parents could actually care less who he married, but there was a puzzle there that Shikamaru wouldn't leave unsolved for an unknown reason.

He knew for a fact that the Uchihas and the Hyuugas were diving headfirst into her business. If he followed this little trail he would ,no doubt, run into them, and probably get into a scuffle or two. However, Shikamaru wasn't too worried about that. Whether the other two men knew it or not: the three of them were more alike than they'd care to admit. All of them were geniuses in their own right, and they all suffered from the same sickness.

Boredom.

There was almost nothing worse than being a smart bored person. Nothing entertained you anymore, and nothing kept you satisfied long enough for you to really enjoy it.

Shikamaru wondered how long it would take for the other men to realize that she had a little secret, and he knew that would be his one up.

No doubt Hyuuga would use his clan for backup: the extravagance, the gates, all of it. Hyuuga would be shameless in his pursuit. He wouldn't put it passed him to approach her directly. The Uchiha would be a bit more to predict, but he was sleuthy. Shikamaru had only gone on one mission with the man, and he had moved like smoke. Itachi would more than likely work in the shadows, so that he wouldn't have to directly interact with her until absolutely necessary.

But Shikamaru had his one up. His calling card could easily be curiosity. The others would seem … wrong. She'd want to marry for love, she wouldn't want to be convinced, and with Shikamaru there'd be no convincing.

The slap on his arm brought him back.

Ino Yamanaka was standing in front of his bed with Chouji nearby in the chair eating his jello.

It would be better if his team, especially Ino, didn't know about this.

"Are you listening to me?" She demanded. "I swear every time I talk you just tune me out,like I don't even matter. How do you think that makes me feel huh?..."

And there she went. Ino was probably the noisiest woman he knew, and she would be shameless in her pursuit of information if the word ever got to her.

"You seem a lot better than you were yesterday?..."

She was too easy to tune out now. He wondered how his parents would react if they found out he was actively pursuing something that wasn't hiding from Ino and taking a nap at the same time. He also wondered how long he could hide it from the two bloodhounds on the nurses rear. If the prodigys got word of his plans their intervention would be too swift for him to stop. He decided to watch the situation carefully, just in case.

He turned his head to face out the window, and saw something he wasn't supposed to see. A crow sitting on the tree branch outside of his window. This would be less conspicuous if the crow didn't have red eyes.

He wondered just how much that crow saw.

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Itachi knew the precise moment that Hyuuga had killed the bird, he also knew the moment that she left for work her next shift would be night shift, so he slowed down. He knew that if appeared in town too fast his injuries would be less believable. They needed a bit of time to heal before approaching the village.

Itachi did feel a bit frustrated and that was new.

He had planned for everything, anything the Hyuuga was going to use, he had a plan for it. The only thing he didn't plan for was the Hyuuga directly approaching her. Itachi didn't know he had it in him. He knew the Hyuuga to be like him, to play from the shadows as much as possible, but the Hyuuga appeared to be more clever than he'd first anticipated, he put her in a corner.

He'd planned to stay behind for as long as possible, but this changed the game a bit.

He was going to have to up the stakes.

**Well, **

**Here we go. Introductions are over. Let me know what you think by clicking that special button. **

**Thank you! To my fabulous new beta! What a lovely human. **

**I do not own Naruto. **


	5. Chapter 5: Market District

Sasuke may not have been a genius like Itachi, he may not have been recruited for ANBU the moment he came out of the womb, but he was smart enough to know when something was going on with his slick older brother.

If he knew anyone in the world, it would be a tie between the dobe and his brother. The dobe, who was lying in the grass next to him slurping instant ramen like he was starved, noodles and juices flying out of his mouth and hitting Sasuke's bare back, was a simple person for anyone to understand. He just wanted to things to be okay, it didn't matter if he was alright or not. As long as everyone else was fine, than the dobe was fine.

His brother on the other hand took a little more brains to figure out.

Itachi was slick. He always had been. He was just like the rodent on his ANBU mask, and he literally could get anything. Whether that be clearance to spy on Sasuke's missions, overruling his father's votes in the clan, or to sway the Hokage which ever direction he felt was best. Itachi always got what he wanted.

"Dobe" – he went to speak to the blond. He was taking a risk bringing it up to the blond, who was much more brash than he was, but the only person whose thought pattern was remotely similar to his was the blond Shinobi.

"Something's wrong with Itachi."

The words were softer spoken.

"I know what's wrong with him he's a frickin' loon.." The blond drew.

"Beyond his usual insanity, he appears to be more … gone lately." Sasuke pondered his own words. His brother seemed almost absentminded at breakfast. Which didn't seem like him at all. When their mother, concerned, asked if he checked into the hospital Itachi had responded with a clear no, and when their father asked if he was alright he turned his cold eyes onto him and said simply, "headache". His mother had ushered him out of the house and to the doctor's office.

"I think he's plotting something. His crows have been gone from the compound for days. Obviously he's looking for something."

Naruto took in the gleam in Sasuke's eyes.

"We should find out what it is."

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The part that Sakura loved the most about Konoha was the market up in the mountains left her with little experience with big flavor and lots of choices.

In the mountains, they sent weeks in advance for food. They would walk down a trail to meet the man with the cart at the end of the road, exchange money, and her brothers would pack all the food up on their backs in backpacks and hike it all the way back up. They mostly lived on canned food, potatoes, and thick red meat. There were no ramen stands, no people bargaining for food on the streets, and no tempura restaurants or long sushi bars.

So when they first moved to the sunny city, their biggest shock was the food. All the flavors, textures,and different ways to prepare anything and everything. Sakura quickly volunteered to do all the grocery shopping just so she could experience the excitement and loud, carefree aura of the market sellers would yell out prices and food, but that wasn't all there was.

There were wax makers, bead sellers, lamp shade sellers, rug sellers, knitted blankets. Under the sunny sky, the umbrellas covering the carts kept her mostly cool as she took in the atmosphere.

She tightened her hand on her basket and checked her satchel for money before entering the fray. She crept up to a fruit stand and observed. There were many things here she'd not had before. She recognized some of them. Big green apples, wobbly, rounded pears, bright yellow lemons, neon green limes, but there was a fuzzy brown thing that was in her sights. She picked it up. She felt its squishy texture and then she sniffed it a bit...

"It's a kiwi fruit." She spun at the low voice that was coming from her right side. She noticed the dark brown hair, the stubble that wasn't there before, the black pants, and forest green vest.

"Nara-sama you were released early?" She was still observing the fruit.

"I'm all healed, remember?" His voice was a smooth drawl.

"That fast? It's a miracle."

She stuck the fruit into her basket and moved to the flower stand that was next door. A set of beautiful, white lupins were on display and she mulled it over. Something so frivolous like lupins. She reached from them when he appeared beside her again.

"You know, you're a hard girl to track down, it was pretty troublesome." She spun on him purposefully smacking him in the chest with the stems of her lupins.

"Why are you tracking me down then Nara-sama?" She asked. She peered into his eyes as fearlessly as she could.

"I have a couple of questions, actually, I have ideas and I just need you to agree or disagree. Ya know, tell me if I'm right or wrong." She glared at him from over her flowers and put those in her basket too looking around for the waxmaker.

"And If I don't want to?"

"Then hold still and listen to what I have to tell you." He all but growled in her ear.

"No time to slow down. Night shift tonight you know." She found the waxmaker beside a glass blower.

"Night shift again? Who did you piss off?" His voice was lax, his body language relaxed, but he seemed also to be on high alert. She noticed his eyes shifting back in forth beneath his low lids, and she could see the way his shoulders were coiled.

"The night shift is pretty lofty, I'll have you know." She set her basket down to scent candles. She liked the soft ones but her mother like bold scents. Meeting that in the middle would be hard.

When she bent to drop the glass jars into her basket it was off the ground and in the man's arms.

"You shouldn't leave your basket on the floor someone could steal it." He informed her frankly.

"As sad as that would be, there's no money in there. I'd just have to rebuy my groceries,and I highly doubt anyone wants my groceries."

"What if someone comes to the market and wants exactly what you want. They look down and it's open season."

She glared at him for that one.

Outlandish.

"I think you're hiding a little bit more than your magical fingers." He said from beside her in a low voice. "I think you've got skeletons so deep in your closet they're wearing your winter coats. I know you're from the mountains. You're too pale to be from here. I also know that you've got some great chakra storage happening in your lower abdomen. I know Tsunade personally gave you your job, and I know you're being followed." She stopped then.

"I'm being followed." Equally low

"The crows."

She looked up then. High in the sky on the top of the abandoned apartment buildings that lined the market district were rows and rows of crows. Black, squawking, beady eyed crows.

"Whose are they?"

"Uchiha have been known for their bird wielding skills. I'm guessing it's one of them. I think that big one, with the obvious red eyes, is probably the messenger crows . The rest of them work like cameras recording information." He was picking at her kiwifruit then.

"How do you know they're following me?" Her voice was a lot stronger than she thought it would be.

"Walk to the stand over there, with the green vegetables, watch how their eyes follow you." She did as he asked and the birds heads ticked slowly to the side like they weren't even real.

"How do we know they aren't following you?" She was husky at that point.

"They have no reason to follow me."

"And they have reason to follow me?"

"You and I both know why they would follow you."

She was silent at that. She'd met only one of her suitors and this fellow. She didn't quite know what he wanted yet. The other was nowhere to be found, but now she knew at least that if she looked up in the sky he was watching.

She didn't know how she felt about this invasion of privacy.

"I've heard he was a great ninja. He must not be that good if I can spot his spies." She thought out loud.

"Don't bait him. He's only doing it because I'm here. He's sending a message."

She didn't understand that one, and was going to ask him to elaborate when she turned and he was gone. Her basket was in the dirt and a leaf was in his place.

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The night shift came again. This time she was more prepared. A Thermos of tea, mixed with chamomile to steady the nerves left behind from her early morning encounter, her white nurses uniform was thoroughly washed buttoned tall, and under it she sported a black long sleeve shirt to keep her warm.

She found herself paranoid for the rest of her day peering out the windows over her head, and she basically ran home from the market. She refrained from telling her mother knowing that if she told her mum about the stalker crows she would lose her mind. So she kept that fact to herself took a long nap in her bed with the blinds closed, the curtains drawn, and all the doors locked.

She bumbled through mostly unseen, checking in on her heart attack patient, and joking lightly with the nurses, but she avoided the front desk as the bunch of gossips hadn't left her alone since the flower fiasco. She'd given most of them away, but kept a few of the potted ones to see if she could fit them in her garden.

As she made her way to the lounge looking over a chart absentmindedly,Yuri, a redheaded young nurse, came flying around the corner nearly knocking her to the ground. She was quick to bow and say her niceties.

"I've been looking for you everywhere Haruno-san! I need your help." Sakura took a deeper look at her appearance, the redhead was flushed, sweating, and panting. She took in her expression and drew her brows together at the girls eyes. They seemed darker than normal almost black instead of her usual brown.

As a nurse, one of your duties was to stay calm and collected in front of patients. Clearly, Yuri needed a little more help in that department and maybe a little more sleep.

"Of course Yuri-kun, what do you need?" Sakura slapped her clipboard against her chest and focused on the younger nurse.

"My patient won't allow me to examine him. He was brought into emergency over an hour ago, we placed him, but he won't let me check his face, eyes, or even touch him. You're the best with patients. I need you." The words seemed a little off. Sakura looked concerned at her fellow nurse.

"Are you alright Yuri?" She was asked slowly reaching for the small light in her breast pocket.

"Yes I'm fine! I just need your help" She nodded her head enthusiastically.

Sakura was shaking her head, "Yuri." She scolded gently, "I know that you're new and you're fresh out of training, but sometimes you've just got to stop trying to kill them kindness and tell them how it really is. If he wanted to come to emergency, he should've known that he would have to be physically examined. I'll go with you and talk to him, but I'm telling you right now. You've got to be more stern." Sakura took the chart from the woman that were completely unfilled due to the lack of proper examination.

She grasped the girls shoulder and brought her into a quick hug before gesturing for her to lead the way with a swipe of her arm.

They took the long hall down to the emergency rooms and Sakura smiled at Yuri before pushing the door open and froze a bit.

The room temperature was almost colder than normal. The body lying on the bed was almost limp except the slight coil of the shoulders which she was beginning to associate with Shinobi. Under the blanket in the room, his hands were folded slightly under the covers, his eyes were closed, and his hair was loose around his shoulders. She checked Yuri's chart.

"_Uchiha-san."_

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And then froze again.

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><p><strong>Ahoy There!<strong>

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews for the last chapter I loved each and everyone one of them. I love that a lot of you put some thought into them, told me the things that were seriously on your mind, or what you were seriously curious about.**

**And thank you to the lovely beta who edited this so It wouldn't read like a fifth grader wrote it. You're amazing. **

**I do not own Naruto. **

_**By the way: What's your favorite smell? **_


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